Things you always wanted to know the answer to [Vol. 4]

[gothatway]

How do Barclays PINSentry and similar card readers from other banks work ? I know I can use my card in readers from several banks, so assume that there is nothing account-(or bank-)specific within the card reader. I also assume that the reader reads and updates data on the card's chip but have read that there is no clock involved so codes generated do not time-expire. If I generated several eight-digit codes in succession without signing on to my account, could I then use any of them to get in, or only the latest ? How does the online system know which one is valid ?

[Rostfritt]

talksthetorque said:

My record is sitting down to watch a football match as a student - and polishing off 16 penguins before half time.

My god that sounds wrong.

I find it odd that penguins are wrapped individually, so that is how people normally eat them, while tim-tams are sold in packs of about 10 so it seems entirely normal to eat a few at a time.

[FiF]

Rostfritt said:

talksthetorque said:

My record is sitting down to watch a football match as a student - and polishing off 16 penguins before half time.

My god that sounds wrong.

I find it odd that penguins are wrapped individually, so that is how people normally eat them, while tim-tams are sold in packs of about 10 so it seems entirely normal to eat a few at a time.

You bar stewards.

<Stands up>

Hi my name is FiF, and I'm a biscuit addict. I've been biscuit free for 6 months now, a day at a time. However I need a sober coach, urgently, having read about but never tasted Tim Tams the biscuit aisle in Tesco could get a visit later. Heeeeellllllpppppp.

[jet_noise]

FiF said:

You bar stewards.

<Stands up>

Hi my name is FiF, and I'm a biscuit addict. I've been biscuit free for 6 months now, a day at a time. However I need a sober coach, urgently, having read about but never tasted Tim Tams the biscuit aisle in Tesco could get a visit later. Heeeeellllllpppppp.

I'm pretty much biscuit-total, preferring as I do the salty nibble, but that is a great site. Style is very much of the modern knowing-wink oeuvre while imparting useful information

[RammyMP]

Jonnny said:

What's the quickest way to empty a bottle?

Upright and it glugs, or tilt so the air can get out?

Stick a straw in it to the bottom then turn it upside down. I used to neck a bottle of castaway in under 2 seconds doing that in my youth.

[Flibble]

jet_noise said:

FiF said:

You bar stewards.

<Stands up>

Hi my name is FiF, and I'm a biscuit addict. I've been biscuit free for 6 months now, a day at a time. However I need a sober coach, urgently, having read about but never tasted Tim Tams the biscuit aisle in Tesco could get a visit later. Heeeeellllllpppppp.

I'm pretty much biscuit-total, preferring as I do the salty nibble, but that is a great site. Style is very much of the modern knowing-wink oeuvre while imparting useful information

Costco cookies are my weakness, I could probably do a whole 24 pack in one sitting.

[FiF]

RammyMP said:

Jonnny said:

What's the quickest way to empty a bottle?

Upright and it glugs, or tilt so the air can get out?

Stick a straw in it to the bottom then turn it upside down. I used to neck a bottle of castaway in under 2 seconds doing that in my youth.

Students in the Swedish uni have a variant on that technique, lie down on the floor on your back, a partner in crime opens a bottle, thumb over neck, give it a good shake, quickly insert bottle neck into recipient's open mouth, who then firmly clamps lips around the neck to get a seal. From memory there's also an element of nose holding. The pressure of the gassy beer opens up the throat and forces its way down. Brutal, often quite a bit of up chucking later. Never seen it done in UK, but these days I have a sheltered life.

[gazzarose]

Just watching 'mega transport' on TV while my dinner is cooking, and it's about moving houses, not just the contents but the whole house. They are moving an entire village in Sweden to make way for a mine. They started in the late 70s and are due to finish but 2032! They are moving them 7km to the next town. It doesn't look like it would be a cheap undertaking, so why don't they just build new houses? The one they are folowing on the program is a 98 year old building with a handful of apartments in it, so surely it would be better all round to go everyone a house with nice modern insulation and services rather than still patching up a century old building!

[Dr Jekyll]

Girlfriends workmate has just 'come out' to great fanfare. Next time I meet him I want to say I'm pleased it went well, but if I point out that I didn't realise he was ever 'in' will that be the wrong thing to say?

[Clockwork Cupcake]

Dr Jekyll said:

Girlfriends workmate has just 'come out' to great fanfare. Next time I meet him I want to say I'm pleased it went well, but if I point out that I didn't realise he was ever 'in' will that be the wrong thing to say?

What are you hoping to add by imparting this information to him? Over and above the well wishes, I mean. And, also, what is he meant to do with this information?

If he is meant to feel better / assured / encouraged by the information then then go for it.

(just my opinion, btw)

[Lazadude]

Random bit of math for the morning...

You have 2x 50m high poles, connected by a 80m long cable which at its lowest point hangs 10m from the level floor. How far apart are the poles?

Tried using pythag but the cable wont be straight, so that's out. And its not a true semi-circle as radius will change or pi is wrong..

Any ideas how to solve this?

[Flibble]

Lazadude said:

Random bit of math for the morning...

You have 2x 50m high poles, connected by a 80m long cable which at its lowest point hangs 10m from the level floor. How far apart are the poles?

Tried using pythag but the cable wont be straight, so that's out. And its not a true semi-circle as radius will change or pi is wrong..

Any ideas how to solve this?

The Cable, assuming it's flexible, will form a catenary: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catenary

You can use the catenary equations to solve for a given height difference and arc length.

However, for an 80m cable to hang to 10m from the floor it needs a 40m drop, which is half its length, so the poles are 0m apart.

[Lazadude]

So obvious thinking about it... thanks.

[SpeckledJim]

You've been trolled by a maths teacher.

(so have I)

[Clockwork Cupcake]

Flibble said:

However, for an 80m cable to hang to 10m from the floor it needs a 40m drop, which is half its length, so the poles are 0m apart.

It's so obvious when you put it that way.

[Nimby]

Lazadude said:

Random bit of math for the morning...

You have 2x 50m high poles, connected by a 80m long cable which at its lowest point hangs 10m from the level floor. How far apart are the poles?

Tried using pythag but the cable wont be straight, so that's out. And its not a true semi-circle as radius will change or pi is wrong..

Any ideas how to solve this?

Here's the original problem:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l_ffdarcJiQ

[FiF]

Just wondering the following from idle observation. Why is it that on PH threads posters who claim to be speaking from experience of currently working within the insurance industry are such snippy buggers? Quick to rile and generally abrupt. We can all think of examples, possibly.

I suppose if we had threads involving supermarket purchasing departments a similar phenomenon might be seen. Reference the old gag alleging Tesco purchasing department recruit graduate trainees and turn them into aholes.

[V8mate]

FiF said:

Reference the old gag alleging Tesco purchasing department recruit graduate trainees and turn them into aholes.

I think that approach could be applied to many industries.

The big accountancy/management consulting firms focus their succession planning on taking wide-eyed graduates, brain-washing giving them the blinkered, in-house view and then deploying them as automatons.

[Clockwork Cupcake]

V8mate said:

I think that approach could be applied to many industries.

The big accountancy/management consulting firms focus their succession planning on taking wide-eyed graduates, brain-washing giving them the blinkered, in-house view and then deploying them as automatons.

Very true. I was mentoring a fresh-faced developer for whom it was his first job. Very bright guy, great ideas, a free thinker who was an asset to the team because he wasn't constrained by any knowledge of "how things are done" so came up with some really great ideas and implementations.

When our team was disbanded and he was made redundant (tough gig), IBM were hiring and they wanted to interview him, and I did everything I could to dissuade him as I felt they would blinker him, crush him, and force him to conform to "the IBM way" which would affect his entire career. Fortunately, he took my advice on board and turned them down.

When you are starting out your career, your first job or two can affect your entire career, and the way you think - I know it did for me, and some bad experiences early on in my career is what made me go freelance.

[RizzoTheRat]

FiF said:

Just wondering the following from idle observation. Why is it that on PH threads posters who claim to be speaking from experience of currently working within the insurance industry are such snippy buggers? Quick to rile and generally abrupt. We can all think of examples, possibly.

I suppose if we had threads involving supermarket purchasing departments a similar phenomenon might be seen. Reference the old gag alleging Tesco purchasing department recruit graduate trainees and turn them into aholes.

Probably because posts about insurance tend to be to complain about insurance companies being robbing bds so get started on the wrong foot and go downhill fast.